Good Question: What To Do With Plastic Plant Pots?

(Note: Include a pic of your problem and your question gets posted first. Email questions and pics with QUESTIONS in subject line to: green(at)apartmenttherapy(dot)com)

This question comes from Andrea:

I moved into an apartment last year with a garden, which is great. But, in my effort to brighten it up with new flowers I am collecting piles of empty plastic plant pots (the kind you buy before you really plant the plants!). Any ideas about good ways to recycle the pots into other uses - indoors or out? I hate to just throw them away. Thank you!

Hi Andrea! The first thing we thought of is taking them your local farmers' market or nursery. They might be able to reuse them. We know of a few botanical gardens (there's one in Missouri, for example) that have plastic plant pot recycling programs. You could also donate them to educational gardens at schools and churches, or perhaps to a horticultural therapy practice, if there is one in your area.